Job Title: Chef – Product Development (QSR / Cloud Kitchen) Location: Dubai, UAEEmployment Type: Full-Time Department: Culinary Innovation & Operations Cuisine: Indian, Sandwiches, Rolls, Fast-food, or QSR Fusion-focused
About the Role:We are looking for a Product Development Chef who can take ownership of menu innovation—from concept to commercialization. This role requires deep knowledge of regional and international cuisines, strong R&D ability, and the capability to convert recipes into standardized, scalable, and cost-efficient production systems, whether executed in-house, through central kitchens, or via outsourced supply-chain partners.
Key Responsibilities1. Product Innovation & Development – Indian, Asian, Fast-food, or Fusion-focused cloud kitchens Research, conceptualize, and create new menu items aligned with brand identity and market trends in the GCC. Conduct multiple rounds of product iteration, improvement, and refinement based on sensory evaluation. Adapt recipes to fit the local palate of the UAE and GCC markets while maintaining brand DNA. Conduct competitive benchmarking across Dubai’s QSR and cloud-kitchen ecosystem.2. Recipe Engineering & Standardization Develop accurate recipes, formulations, and portion sizes for every dish. Ensure dishes can be reproduced consistently across all kitchens (cloud, central, or outsourced). Build detailed standardized recipes (spec sheets) covering ingredients, equipment, steps, timings, yields, and plating/packaging methods. Translate complex recipes into operationally simple SOPs suitable for high-volume QSR operations. Understand nutritional components and nutritional values of food items created. Knowledge of retort, frozen, preservative-based, and hot-fill processes and technologies.3. Sensory Evaluation & Quality Control Lead internal tasting panels; document sensory feedback and iterate until final approval. Maintain taste, texture, and visual consistency across all locations. Collaborate with QA and Operations teams to ensure repeatable quality in daily operations.4. Supply Chain & Production Integration Work with procurement to shortlist suppliers and evaluate raw materials. Design recipes considering cost targets, shelf-life, storage constraints, and scalability. Collaborate with central kitchen teams to scale recipes from lab to batch production. Support outsourcing partners in implementing production SOPs and quality guidelines.5. Cloud Kitchen Operational Support Develop SOPs for preparation, cooking, assembly, packaging, and dispatch. Train kitchen teams on new products, workflows, and quality expectations. Conduct periodic kitchen audits to monitor product adherence, hygiene, and operational compliance.
Required Skills & Qualifications5–10+ years of experience as a Chef, R&D Chef, Innovation Chef, or Culinary Head in QSR, cloud kitchens, or fast-casual brands. Strong understanding of Middle Eastern, Indian, Asian, Fast-Casual, and Fusion cuisines. Experience with commercial food manufacturing technologies (frozen, retort, preservative-based, emulsified products, etc.). Deep experience in recipe development, sensory analysis, and high-volume food production. Experience with central kitchen operations, commissary models, and outsourced production partners. Strong documentation, process-oriented thinking, and organizational skills. Ability to balance creativity with cost, scalability, and operational simplicity. Knowledge of Dubai/UAE food safety standards (HACCP, Municipality regulations) preferred.